Ten best movies adapted from TV series
Last week I did a little dumpster diving on the Hollywood backlot and pulled out a collection of vomit-inducing big screen adaptations that failed miserably to live up to the TV series that inspired them. The putrid stench of their incompetence still clings to the walls at FOX, Warner Bros., and Universal. No amount of Lysol can combat these odious bombs.
Out with the bad; in with the good. Once in a great while, Tinseltown gets it right. The small screen to big screen transition — when placed in the hands of skilled practitioners — can be quite smooth. The following list of successes is the exact reason why TV series are such popular fodder for movie producers. Without further adieu, let’s frolic in a jasmine-scented meadow and drink from the cool refreshing waters of a babbling brook. It’s time to inhale some cinema goodness.
The Week in Clack – Virgins, ass-kicking and Lost teasers
Week of December 28 through January 3
Clever, insolent, creative, irreverent; even a little twisted. I speak of the writers here at CliqueClack, and the unique posts they churn out day after day. How could we let seven days go by without highlighting some of the week’s gems?
Since there actually wasn’t any new programming on TV this week, we enjoyed writing about all things retro.
- Rich brought his combination of research and nostalgia to CliqueClack Kids this week in his post about You Can’t Do That on Television.
- Fans of Don Johnson, pastels, cop shows and metrosexuals won’t want to miss Scott’s CliqueClack Flashback of Miami Vice.
- Slightly less retro but still a thing of the TV past is The Wire, and Bob Degon continues his Wire Virgin’s Diary by wrapping up season one and plunging into season two.
- Speaking of virgins, we’re almost to the end of the first season in my Diary of Supernatural Virgin, and I’ve discovered the story arc and my point of no return.
CliqueClack Flashback – Miami Vice
From the neon lights of Biscayne Boulevard to the feral swamps of the Everglades, the mid-1980s belonged to Miami Vice. Debuting in 1984 — on NBC at 10pm — the series not only altered cop shows, it influenced all of television by bringing a movie-like look and feel to the small screen.
By setting and shooting the series in Miami, executive producer Michael Mann introduced America to a city vastly different from the sleepy retirement communities most associated with the sunshine state. Mann’s Miami was fast, modern, baroque and dark. The city was more than just a location, it was another character; a breathing backdrop to a series that reflected the glitz and glam of the ’80s.
Grab your shades and shorts and hop aboard the flashback train. We’re takin’ a trip to the 3-0-5, where gorgeous women, tanned bodies, cutting-edge sports cars and super-stealthy speedboats are the norm. Welcome to the world of Miami Vice.
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